Israeli commits suicide over Facebook post that called him a thief

Daughter of deceased files suit, vowing to disprove allegation and get justice

In this photo illustration, an error message appears on the Facebook home page on a laptop computer screen on September 28, 2015 in Newark, New Jersey. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images/AFP)

The daughter of an Israeli man who killed himself over an embarrassing Facebook post is suing the post’s writer, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.

The man, a resident of northern Israel named only as Asaf, took his own life after being accused on the social network of being a thief.

The vilifying post, published a few months ago, read: “Dear friends, I’m asking for help and any information on the crook in this image. He came into my house, ate, drank and then stole something expensive from us. Anyone who has information on his whereabouts is promised a large monetary prize.”

The post caused Asaf’s family much distress, Channel 2 reported, and three days after its publication he committed suicide.

He left his wife and four children a suicide note blaming the post for his decision to take his own life.

“To my children, know that I am sorry about everything. I didn’t steal anything, and everything that appears in the Facebook post is because of a check… that I wasn’t able to repay. He posted what he posted to Facebook. Know that I love you very much. You can’t imagine how much,” the letter read.

The letter addressed his oldest daughter, saying, “I am sorry about the chaos you have to deal with because of me. But I have no choice. I have no strength to continue.”

The daughter of the deceased is now seeking to bring to justice the person she feels is responsible for her father’s death and to clear his name.

“They took my father from me. They took him with their words, with their letters and writing,” said the woman, named by media as Maya, who submitted a lawsuit against the post’s writer at her district court.

“He was a good man with a great heart, who was always helpful and supportive no matter what,” she said of her father.

Shlomi Weinberg, the lawyer for the family, said, “They say that language has the power of life and death. Today, life and death is in the hands of the keyboard. And when people inflict harm through the keyboard, they need to pay, and pay a hefty price. The price should reflect the hurt done to the deceased as well as to the family.”

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